File box or drawer.



Patented June 25, 1912.

WITNESSES:

COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH c0 Sl-HNGTON n Trn'rTnn STATES PATENT oTTTon.

WILLIAM C. WEIS, OF MONROE, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO THE WEIS MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF MONROE, MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION.

FILE BOX 0R DRAWER.

Specification of Letters Patent. I

Patented June 25, 1912.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM C. WEIS, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Monroe, in the county of Monroe and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in File Boxes or Drawers; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to file boxes or drawers designed for the reception of documents, index-cards and the like, and, more particularly, to that portion of the drawer or box intended to hold the contents upright and compactly together to keep the same in order and to utilize space.

My invention is designed to dispense with the heavy cumbersome follow-block usually employed in devices of this character, and to provide in lieu thereof a sheet metal plate which shall more effectively serve the same purpose and which shall be light, neat, strong and cheap, and which shall occupy but little space.

I attain the objects here indicated by means of the construction hereinafter described, and shown and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which,-

Figure 1 is a central longitudinal sectional elevation of a box or drawer provided with my follow-plate with a series of cards resting against the same; Fig. 2, a perspective view of said plate on an enlarged scale, and Fig. 3, a front elevation of the same, detached.

Like parts are represented by corresponding reference numerals throughout the drawm s.

In the drawings, 1 is a box or drawer having in its bottom a central longitudinal slot 2 in which is disposed, lengthwise, a metal rod 3 having its ends secured inthe front and back of the box or drawer. 4: is a sheet metal plate, preferably substantially rectangular in outline, and of such dimensions as to move to and fro within the box or.

drawer when placed on edge across its interior. Midway of-the lower margin of the plate is a downwardly projecting lip 5 lying in the same plane with the plate. 6 is a tongue struck from the body of the plate immediately above the lip 5, said tongue being bent backwardly, as at 7, and downwardly, as at 8, so that the lower extremities of the parts 5 and 6 lie substantially in the same horizontal plane. Through the parts 5 and 6 are holes 9 and 10 which are in alinement and through which passes the rod 3. The hole 10 in the downwardly projecting portion of the tongue 6 is elongated and narrowed upwardly so that the plate is capable of a slight movement to and fro at its top upon the lip 5, as a pivot. The bend of the-tongue 6 is such that the plate is normally inclined slightly backwardly so that the narrowed portion of the hole 10 bites with a wedge-like action upon the rod 3, thus holding the plate against bodily movement along the rod. When the top of the plate is tilted slightly forward, the contracted portion of the hole 10 lets go of the rod and the plate may now be easily and readily slipped along the rod in either direction to tighten or loosen the compression upon the contents of the receptacle. When the plate is moved firmly against a collection of papers or cards and then released, the top of the plate immediately drops slightly backwardly, causing the contracted portion of the hole 10 to tightly engage the rod 3, thus holding the plate against backward movement until released, as just described. The notch 11 in the upper margin of the plate is the space left by the formation of the lip 5 of the adjoining plate when the blanks are cut, thus preventing waste of material.

Having described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is,

1. In a device of the described character, a substantially rectangular metal plate having midway of its lower margin a downwardly projecting lip, a tongue struck from the body of said plate and bent backwardly and downwardly with its lower extremity in substantially the same horizontal plane with the lower edge of said lip, there being coincident holes through said downwardly projecting port-ions, the hole through said tongue being elongated and narrowed upwardly.

2. In a device of the described character, a receptacle having a longitudinally slotted bottom, a rod disposed in the slot, and a follow-plate comprising a metal sheet having two portions which project downwardly into v the slot and which have coincident holes therethrough for the reception of the rod, 10 one of said holes being elongated and narrowed vertically.

In testimony whereof I afflX my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM C. WEIS.

Witnesses:

F. R. MORRIS, ALBERT G. Wnnsr.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

